non-permanent Bid bumping

[Crtlndyppie]

I am a driver with 21 years senority. Recently a driver with 24 years seniority bid on a route next to mine which they now break out on Mondays and Fridays. He is following the 5-10 stops (it's a 4 way split) I get from him to bump me. My problem is that I've been told by the Union and the Company that after the bump I have to work as directed, which for all purposes makes like a low seniority swing driver. The contract covers pemanent change of operations but not temporary. I can't believe after 25 years over all seniority and 21 driving and 10 on my bid route this is the case. I feel the Union which I have no problems with has thrown me under the bus if they have agreed to this! Anyone have any Ideas?

 

[Jones]

I am a driver with 21 years senority. Recently a driver with 24 years seniority bid on a route next to mine which they now break out on Mondays and Fridays. He is following the 5-10 stops (it's a 4 way split) I get from him to bump me. My problem is that I've been told by the Union and the Company that after the bump I have to work as directed, which for all purposes makes like a low seniority swing driver. The contract covers pemanent change of operations but not temporary. I can't believe after 25 years over all seniority and 21 driving and 10 on my bid route this is the case. I feel the Union which I have no problems with has thrown me under the bus if they have agreed to this! Anyone have any Ideas?

What supplement are you under? My first question would be, if your supplement only covers permanent changes then how is this guy being allowed to bump you? Shouldn't he be the one in cover?

 

[UPSGUY72]

Who in the union told you your business agent or your steward? Don't believe anything the company tells you? First you need to check your Supplement and see if this situation is covered but if they only cut his route one day at a time. If it's not covered then he can't bump you. If he can bump he should only be able to bump the lowest senority driver with a route in your building.

 

[grgrcr88]

If your in the central, he can follow work off his route when it is eliminated on a temporary basis and bump a junior driver. There is no language discussing the 2nd move, therefore the company has the right to do with you what they please. Unfortunately, that probably means you become a high seniority non-bid cover driver.

 

[Crtlndyppie]

Yes i am in the central, and no it is the second move (which would be me that is not covered). My Steward is the one that first informed me of the policy.

 

[Pkgrunner]

One question: Do you have a lot of area knowledge for your center?


I'm in a similar situation under the "Southwest Rider" with the exception that it is my route that gets cut once or twice a week....and I cannot follow any of my work unless it is 50% or more.
I was Utility(aka: Cover/Swing depending on local language) for close to 11 years and know all the routes(I mean: PAS-areas) in my center. I just find it suspiciously-convenient that my route, since PAS implementation, has consumed and has become the "base-car" not only for my loop-- but all the loops near it.

There is language that protects the Utility drivers from being bumped off routes they bid on a week to week basis; but nothing that protects the Bid drivers of temporary eliminations of their permanent routes. My center generally applies the 50+% rule of bumping for permanent changes to temporary changes . Since my route breaks out to 4 or 5 other routes, I fall under the SOL-rule---"there isn't any language for it in the rider so we can make up our own rules."

I have asked my steward if I can put my name on the weekly Utility bid sheet for when my route is out...but other than being a "good angle" it wouldn't fly since I have my own route. I just become the highest seniority unassigned Utility driver for the day when my route is out..and can only bump the utility drivers who do not have a bid for the week. Luckily for me, its not too hard to find someone on a good route who wants to go home....I just wonder what my option would be if no-one wanted to go home---I assume it would be the lowest senior driver since it is basically a "layoff" situation...

 

[jalnar]

Remember when we voted on this contract everyone lookes at money and not language. Now it is coming back to haunt us. To make matters worse if you are a bid driver on a training route and they use your route to train you get bumped to th e bottom of the bid coverage list even if you have more seniority then all of themJust do the work they assisgn you and when you go over 10.5 they wont do that again. Mgmt does not have enough people to ride with you.so give it to them good

 

[grgrcr88]

I just wonder what my option would be if no-one wanted to go home---I assume it would be the lowest senior driver since it is basically a "layoff" situation...

That is how it works in the central, You can displace the lowest senior driver